End of an era for North Sea’s Buchan Alpha rig

SCOTT REID

Decommissioning plans have been outlined for a North Sea facility that has churned out 150 million barrels of oil over the past 36 years.

Buchan Alpha ceased production, as planned, last month. Now, Repsol Sinopec Resources UK has awarded a contract to dismantle and recycle the facility to Veolia, following a tendering process. The work will be carried out at its Dales Voe site in Lerwick, Shetland.

Bill Dunnett, managing director at Repsol Sinopec Resources UK, said: “Buchan Alpha has made a huge contribution to the UK economy throughout its life, producing more than three times the volume of oil that was originally predicted.”

He added: “We are pleased the decommissioning phase will create further sustained value for the UK supply chain and additional employment for Shetland, building a new model for full facility decommissioning in the UK.”